Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a resort town located an hour and a half north of Chicago and an hour south of Milwaukee. In the summer, the town welcomes visitors coming to sail and swim on Geneva Lake, relax in their lake houses, or stroll down main street. Lake Geneva’s population hovers around the 7,700 mark, but on busy weekends the sidewalks swell with visitors. The winter is much quieter, with the exception of Winterfest, when tens of thousands of visitors gather to enjoy the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition and celebrate winter in earnest. This year the festival runs from February 3 through 13th, so if you haven’t been, there’s still time to go and have a fun time with your family!
Why Winterfest in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is Tons of Fun for Families
1. The National Snow Sculpting Competition
Teams from around the country gather by the lake and carve their creations. A team consists of up to 3 people and can take approximately 100 hours to complete. The competition began last Wednesday and ended Saturday morning at 11 a.m.. We arrived around 10 on Saturday morning so we could see the finishing touches. There is an official group of judges that chooses the winner and a “People’s Choice Award”. We thought they were all amazing. Sculptures will be there through the week for visitors to admire.

It takes a lot of work!